Hello, Mr and Mrs Inoue
by Venchi
Summary: As Ichigo and Orihime start to get closer to each other, Orihime's parents mysteriously return after thirteen long years. What does all this mean? And how will this affect Ichigo and Orihime's relationship? IchiHime. Please review!
1. Hello, Mr and Mrs Inoue

Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Inoue

Hello, everyone! Well, here I am…writing my first fanfic (I'm slightly nervous….O.o). I have been a long-time Bleach fan and I randomly had an idea for an IchiHime story, so I jumped on my computer and typed. I started to read more and more fanfics and I was struck with the urge to write about how Orihime would react to seeing her parents again.

I wrote this story for everyone who has suffered abuse, family deaths, or the splitting up of their family. It's a hard thing to go through, and it creates enough trauma and pain to last decades.

I made a lot of grammatical errors when I first uploaded this chapter, so I cleaned it up a little bit!

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach. I don't. Believe me-if I did Ichigo and Orihime would be together by now.

_**Hollow Ichigo's thoughts.**_

_Regular thoughts_

Chapter 1: Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Inoue 

Ichigo yawned as he leaned back in his chair, slowly sinking into the small pieces of wood and metal that was his desk. Misato-sensei was going off on one of her nonsensical lectures again, and he seemed to be the only one who was zoning out. Ichigo tried to drown out her obnoxious voice and the annoying scratching sound of pencils viciously scribbling down notes on paper by staring out the window, trying to get lost in the deep blue sky. Ichigo felt relieved to get the window seat. Looking outside was much less irritating than staring at a damn chalkboard.

The truth was, Ichigo just wasn't motivated. After everything that's happened-Soul Society, the war with Aizen, and rescuing Inoue, it felt surreal to be going back to school like a regular high schooler. That was another thing that has been on his mind a lot recently-Orihime Inoue. He would catch himself staring at her, zoning out like an idiot. It's almost like his eyes were drawn to her.

_Shit!_ Ichigo thought, mentally cursing himself. It happened again. He didn't even notice the fact that he was staring at her like a moron. She looked up at him and gave him a warm smile. Feeling his cheeks heat up, Ichigo quickly turned his head back towards the window. _I'm just out of it today…._

Ichigo has been thinking about Inoue more than usual. Sure, she's been a friend of his for as long as he could remember, but they were never very close. Ever since the "rescue mission" in Hueco Mundo, it seemed like she was always on his mind.

The bell rang, and Ichigo sprang up, silently thanking Kami that he was free from the constraint of his undersized desk. He grabbed his stuff, stretched, and looked over to Inoue. She was writing something down on a small piece of paper. Her gray eyes were still with concentration.

"Hey, Inoue," Ichigo said as he casually walked over to her desk.

Orihime jumped with surprise and looked up at Ichigo. She seemed to be surprised that he was talking to her. "H-Hello, Kurosaki-kun," she said with a warm smile. He noticed the adorable pinkish tint her cheeks had. Mentally slapping himself, Ichigo pointed at the piece of paper she was writing on.

"Are those notes? Class is over, you know."

"N-no, they aren't notes. These are actually new recipe ideas. I had some during class and I wanted to write them down so I can make them tonight. Look at this one! You only need tw-"

She was talking excitedly until Ichigo interrupted her, completely aware of her bizarre tastes in food. "Uh…sounds good," he said quickly, trying not to feel queasy.

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Everyone else had left the class, excitedly talking about the latest Bad Shield movie. Ichigo stared at Orihime, and she stared back. They must have made eye contact for a full thirty seconds until Ichigo realized that she was blushing like a tomato.

"K-Kurosaki-kun, I-is anything wrong?" She asked nervously. _Why is he staring at me? Kurosaki-kun never stares like this…_ Orihime felt that her cheeks were on fire. She quickly turned away from Ichigo, covering her face with her hands. _Oh no! Why do I always get so embarrassed around Kurosaki-kun?_ She asked herself, silently wishing that she had more courage to talk to the man she loved.

_Damnit!_ Ichigo cursed. _Why do I keep doing that?_ He noticed that Orihime turned away, and he quickly tried to come up with something to say to her to start a conversation. He searched his mind for something to say to break the awkwardness, but he couldn't think of anything. Ichigo noticed that Orihime looked back up at him, her face a lot less red. Looking into her gray eyes, he said the very words that where on his heart all week:

"I'm glad your back, Inoue," he said gently, giving her one of his rare smiles. His gaze softened as his brown eyes looked at her caringly. Ichigo left the classroom, taking one last glance at her before walking through the door.

Orihime's heart melted. She was speechless. She waved her hand in front of her face, which was feeling very hot all of a sudden. _Relax!_ She told herself. _Its not like he asked you out or anything._ Just as her face was turning back into its regular shade, she found herself blushing yet again. _He is glad I'm back! Kurosaki-kun cares about me!_ She thought to herself as her heart did backflips inside of her chest.

As Ichigo was leaving the classroom, he noticed Tatsuki in the hallway. A smug grin was plastered on her face.

"What the hell are you smiling about?" Ichigo grunted.

"Oh, nothing," Tatsuki said innocently. Ichigo didn't like her tone. "I just didn't know you were such a softie," she teased with a big grin.

"Sh-Shutup!" Ichigo nervously yelled as he stormed down the hallway, trying to hide his blush. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

_ Its about time he started to notice Orihime._ Tatsuki said to herself with a soft chuckle. _Hehehe…I can't remember the last time Ichigo was this flustered. It is so obvious!_

_**So, King. When are you going to make a move on the chick? She's got a nice rack!**_

Ichigo shook his head from side to side violently, trying to get the obscene voice to shut up. _Be quiet! It's hard enough to think without your perverted side-comments!_

Obviously amused with Ichigo's situation, his hollow side persisted. _**C'mon, King! I'm just a part of you! And I know you are thinking the exact same thing! **_

"Sh-Shutup!" Ichigo yelled aloud, scaring an elementary schooler who was passing by him half to death. Ichigo looked at the young girl, embarrassed at the fact that he was caught talking to himself. "What are you looking at?" He asked with a scowl. The girl just ran to her mom behind him.

"That man is scary!"

Orihime walked home, replaying what Ichigo had said to her earlier over and over again in her head like a DVD set on repeat.

_"I'm glad your back, Inoue." _

Orihime squealed as she remembered his soft smile and caring stare. She didn't care that she was making too big of a deal about it. It was just unusual for Ichigo to approach anyone like that. She felt like pumping her fists in the air, like she won some sort of contest or game.

As Orihime opened the door to her apartment, reality started to catch up to her and she started thinking sadder thoughts. _But Ichigo has always been like that…he has always cared for his friends. And that's all I'll ever be…his friend…._

Orihime plopped down on the nearest sofa, suddenly feeling tired. She could hardly believe that she was being held in Hueco Mundo only two weeks ago. Suddenly feeling chilly, she grabbed the nearest blanket and sat, deep in thought.

_I just want him to love me back. Maybe, just maybe, in some kind of fantasy world, we can be together…_ she thought to herself. Orihime has had a crush on Ichigo since she first met him. Now, she knew that she loved the orange-haired Shinigami. Her heart started to sink. She was hit almost instantaneously by the realization that he never seemed interested in her. He would always grunt and wave her off when she tried to talk to him.

Orihime felt a headache coming on and massaged her temples. She convinced herself that she would always be Ichigo's friend, and nothing more. She knew that her love would always be unrequited.

I just wish I can get rid of these feelings…I must be a burden to poor Kurosaki-kun… she thought, remembering how Ichigo risked his life in countless battles, just to bring her back home.

Orihime snapped back to reality when she heard her doorbell ring. _Its 8:30…who could that be?_

Orihime moved towards the door, feeling her head throb more and more as the impatient person in the other side of the door pressed the doorbell repeatedly. Slightly annoyed at the impatience, she turned the brass handle and the door swung open.

An ecstatic middle-aged woman with reddish-brown hair that fell to her shoulders leapt onto Orihime, nearly crushing her with a giant bear hug. "Orihime! Sweetie…how have you been?" she asked excitedly.

"Erm…what?" Asked Orihime, completely clueless. It wasn't everyday that a middle-aged woman pounced on her.

"Don't tell me you forgot, dearie," the woman said, finally letting her go. Orihime gasped for breath and felt like her shoulders were dislocated. "Don't tell me you forgot your own mother!"

Orihime didn't quite register what the woman just said. "So what are y-…..wait…..MOTHER?" She yelled in disbelief.

"Took you long enough," teased the woman. "Oh my! You are beautiful! I can't believe this is my first time seeing you in thirteen years!"

Orihime was dumbstruck. She couldn't find the ability to open speak. _This can't be real. This has to be some kind of dream. I must have eaten something bad…maybe I should listen to Tatsuki-chan about the food I eat…_

Orihime stared at the woman in front of her who claimed to be her mother. She had shoulder-length auburn hair, gray eyes, and wrinkles that made her look older than she actually was.

"Well, dearie…I can see that you definitely got your beauty from me," the woman said, laughing. The woman glanced down at Orihime's well-endowed chest. "And these as well!"

Orihime was still too shocked to even be embarrassed. She pinched herself. Once. Twice. To be safe, three times. Nope, this wasn't a dream. This was real. This woman was her mother.

She felt like she was going to burst into tears. Even though she was three when Sora took her and left their hellhole of a home, she still had terrible memories of abuse and mistreatment at the hands of her not-so-loving parents. For her mother to suddenly show up, completely out of the blue, after thirteen years, was too much for her to handle.

"Wh-Where's d-dad?" She managed to choke out.

The woman's face hardened, making her look like an old woman. "He's….out right now." She said quickly. "Don't worry-he should be here soon enough." Immediately, her mouth grew into a huge grin and her face brightened up. "I can't believe how much you grew! Look at you!"

Orihime's mother walked into the apartment and looked around. Orihime noticed that she had a suitcase. _What's going on? _She thought desperately to herself. _Why is she here? Why now? After all the trouble she put Sora and I through…the nerve!_ It was obvious that Orihime was still a little bitter, and for a good reason.

"Where's your brother?" Her mom asked as she looked around the apartment and placed her suitcase on top of the table.

Orihime felt hot, angry tears run down her cheeks. "He's….dead." Orihime replied, turning around and heading out the door into the cold night.

"Oh my…," her mother said, not knowing what else to say. She noticed Orihime walking out the door. "Where are you going dearie?"

"I'm going out for a little bit," Orihime replied between sobs.

"Don't stay out too late!"

Orihime's body quivered with anger as she felt hot tears run down her face. She tasted the saltiness of the tears in her mouth and her nose started to run.

_WHY? WHY WHY WHY? _

Orihime found herself standing in Karakura Park. She sat down on one of the cold benches and quietly cried to herself, ignoring the freezing weather.

"Inoue?"

Orihime's head jerked up. She knew that voice…it belonged to none other than Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime sniffed as she tried to wipe away her tears. She didn't even attempt to hide the surprise in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

_This night can't get any weirder…_ Orihime thought to herself. _Still, I'm so happy Kurosaki-kun is here._

"I usually stop here for a while after my 'Hollow Duties'," Ichigo explained, as if it was some kind of meager chore. Worry filled Ichigo's face, taking the place of his trademark scowl, when he realized that Orihime was crying. "Inoue…are you alright?"

_Damn! _Ichigo cursed to himself. _I'm terrible with this sentimental stuff!_

"Y-Yes," Orihime said, her voice quaking. She was a terrible liar. She hated to lie to Ichigo, but she didn't want to burden him with her problems. He already went through enough trouble because of her. "Its…just…I missed my favorite TV show."

_What a lame excuse_

"You're a bad liar," Ichigo said with a smile. His smile quickly turned into a grimace when he realized that Orihime was outside without a jacket for who knows how long.

Ichigo took a seat beside her. He shuddered as he felt the cold park bench through his Shinigami robes. Ichigo grabbed Orihime's hand (which, despite the weather, made her face heat up). It felt like a block of ice.

"Inoue, come with me," Ichigo commanded, not really giving her a choice. "You're going to freeze out here."

Orihime blushed as Ichigo covered her with one of his big, muscular arms. She instantly felt warmer.

"Now, what's the matter? I mean, if you don't want to, you don't have to tell me. But if you want to, its cool. I mean, I want you to tell me. But if you want to-"

Ichigo was cut off by a giggle. _Shit! She probably thinks I'm a godamn idiot! She's probably gonna laugh in my face._

Orihime instead said something that surprised Ichigo. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun. For everything."

Those five (and a half?) words made Ichigo's day. He tried to ignore the fact that his heart skipped a beat. He was nervous that Orihime would hear it beating through his chest. A slight blush covered his cheeks.

"My parents…came home," Orihime said, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "After thirteen years…I haven't seen them…I haven't even talked to them…I don't even know how they found out where I live…"

Ichigo was also shocked by the news. They both had the same question. Summarized in one word: "_Why?"_

When the two got to Orihime's apartment, they were surprised to see a plump middle-aged man with his hair tied back in a ponytail. He had stubble all over his chin and upper lip and droopy, baggy eyes. He looked down from the apartment's patio and saw the two walking up to the door.

"Hime," he said gruffly. Despite the fact that they haven't ever even spoken a word to each other in thirteen years, he spoke casually, like he conversed with her all the time. "Who the fuck is he?"

_There is something odd about this guy, _Ichigo thought. _How can the gentle, sweet, and…erm…good looking Orihime Inoue have a father like this?_

Orihime recovered from her speechlessness and nervously introduced him to Ichigo. "We are classmates," she explained.

As a common courtesy, Ichigo extended his hand for a handshake. Orihime's father just stared at him with his saggy eyes. Ichigo felt uncomfortable, and right before he withdrew his hand, the strange man grabbed it tightly and gave it good couple shakes.

Ichigo shuddered and looked down at his hand. There was a bunch of grime and dirt in his palm. _Why are his hands so callused and dirty?_

After what seemed like an eternity, Orihime's father finally spoke up. "Where were you, Hime?"

_Where were YOU? _Orihime silently thought to herself. "I was at the park."

Ichigo felt a bad feeling in the pit of his gut. Something was terribly wrong with this picture. He felt sorry for Orihime…having virtually no family, and then having them show up out of the blue…

"Its getting late," Ichigo said politely, trying as hard as he can to get away from the uncomfortable scene in front of him. "I should head home."

After saying goodnight to Orihime and her father, Ichigo descended down the staircase. As he walked off into the darkness, he felt like some sinister set of eyes were watching him. He turned around and looked up at Orihime's apartment. Sure enough, her father's beady eyes where fixed on him-studying his every move. Shuddering, Ichigo turned back around and walked home.

After Ichigo left, Orihime opened the door to her apartment and proceeded to step inside, immediately feeling a pleasant blast of hot air. She was halted by her father.

"Its good to see you again," he said. "….Hime."

Orihime smiled, wiping away a few tears from her eyes. "Good to see you too, father."

It was late when Ichigo finally got to his house. His walk was uncomfortable. He kept thinking of "Mr. Inoue's" creepy stare. He felt tense. As his hands wrapped around the cold gray steel of the doorknob, he felt his body ease up. Exhaling a breath, he stepped inside of his warm, secure h-

Isshin, lying in ambush behind the door, managed to catch his son off guard with a flying sidekick to the back of his head.

"You let your guard down again, Ichigo!" Isshin cried, gloating like a little kid who won a game of hide-and-seek. "Your reflexes can't match those of your old ma-"

Isshin's victory monologue was cut short by a swift punch in the face. "DAMNIT! HOW LONG WERE YOU WAITING THERE?"

Isshin proudly smiled. "A couple hours," he said, bragging.

"YOU SHOULDN'T BE PROUD OF THAT!" Ichigo yelled.

Isshin sat up and stroked his beard. "Lesson #1: the enemy could be anywhere."

Ichigo walked up the stairs, uninterested in what his over-enthusiastic father had to say.

"Ichigo? Ichigo! YOUR DEAR FATHER IS TALKING TO YOU!" Isshin cried as he crawled towards his poster of Masaki. "Masaki! Our son won't heed the wise words of his poor old father!"

"Stop being such a drama queen," Karin said, not turning away from the television. "Its embarrassing."

Isshin only wailed louder as he told Masaki about their "rebellious children."

Ichigo stomped up the stairs into his bedroom, and plopped down on his desk chair, making a quite creaking sound. Kon, hearing that Ichigo was home, ran out from underneath his bed.

"Ichigo!" Kon yelled, waving his tiny lion paws to try to capture the Shinigami's attention. "Where have you been? Don't tell me…you where at Orihime-chan's house!"

Ichigo's blushing face confirmed Kon's suspicions.

"BASTARD!" Kon yelled as he viciously tackled Ichigo's arm (well, as viciously as a plush lion could, anyway). "MY SWEET ORIHIME WILL NOT BE TAINTED!"

Fuming with rage and embarrassment, Ichigo grabbed Kon's head and roughly threw him out of his room. Kon hit the floor in the hallway with a squeak, just as Yuzu was walking by.

"Bostov!" Yuzu yelled in delight as she picked up the plush lion. "Where have you been? You have missed so many tea parties! And I have the _perfect_ new dress for you!"

Kon shuddered and eyed Ichigo with contempt as he was carried to Yuzu's room. _I won't let you take my Orihime without a fight!_ He thought to himself. Ichigo just raised his eyebrow in amusement.

Ichigo sank into his chair and sighed. Closing his eyes, Ichigo replayed the events of that day in his head. Curiously, Ichigo's scowl turned into a warmhearted grin. He hated to admit it, but he loved his family. Isshin, Karin, Yuzu…sure, they were annoying (*cough* Isshin **cough**), but at least they had each other. His smile sank into a frown when he thought of Orihime's family.

_I bet she would give anything to have a loving family…._

_**Cute, King. That's so adorable!**_

_Shutup! Why the hell do you have to kill the mood?_

_**Eh, whatever. You know, you could've made a move on that Inoue girl earlier…hell, you might've even been able to-**_

Ichigo silenced his hollow before he finished the statement. _You don't always have to give me your opinions. I don't give a shit._

_**Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that, "Kurosaki-kun."**_

Growling, and suddenly feeling tired, Ichigo stood up and walked over to his bed. He kicked off his shoes and lazily collapsed onto his soft mattress. As he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, his thoughts drifted to a certain auburn-haired girl…

_ I bet she would give anything to have a loving family…._

-Chapter 1 End-

Well, that's chapter 1! I hoped you liked it! PLEASE REVIEW! Don't make me beg! I want to know what you guys thought. Please don't be (too) mean! No one likes flamers!

Anyways, I was really excited about this chapter! I have a lot of plans for this story! (Rubbing my hands together and laughing evilly).

Oh, and sorry for any misspellings or grammar errors…hehehe I'm bad a proofreading my own work. (Although, strangely, I'm very good at checking other people's work. Weird, huh?).

I should have chapter 2 posted in no time! Remember to review please! And thanks for reading!

-Venchi


	2. The Tutor and the Strawberry Student

Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Inoue

Hello again! Here is chapter two! (I have no idea how long I will make this story. Possibly ten or so chapters.)

This chapter isn't as long as the first, but its still nice n' lengthy. I'm going to try to make each chapter have 2,000-3,000 or so words. (Fair enough?)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Maybe when all the planets align, hell freezes over, and Kubo decides to finally put Ichigo and Orihime together….

_**Hollow Ichigo's thoughts.**_

Regular thoughts.

Chapter 2: The Tutor and the Strawberry Student

"This is going to be a LOOOOOOOONNNG day…," Ichigo muttered to himself as he stared down at the test on his desk. The stack of paper was so thick, Ichigo was surprised that his creaky old wooden desk even supported the weight. Ichigo tried to focus, to no avail; he blanked out before his pencil even touched the paper.

_Shit! _Growled Ichigo silently. _I am SOOOOO not ready for this test…I knew I should have studied…_

Right now, he would have rather faced an army of hollows. At least that was less intimidating than the pile of papers in front of him. Ichigo looked up at the clock. The hand seemed to move more and more slowly every time he looked at it.

Sighing, Ichigo mentally slapped himself, picked up his pencil, and started scribbling down answers to the questions. _Here goes nothing…_

What seemed like an eternity later, Ichigo let his pencil drop out of his hand. Grumbling, he massaged his cramped hand. At least he finished the test. Ichigo glanced back at the clock, but his gaze subconsciously fell on the auburn-haired girl at the other side of the classroom. He caught her sneak a glance at him. Blushing, she quickly looked away, pretending to stare at something else.

Ichigo smiled. He found her habits, well…. _cute_.

Finally, the bell rang. Ichigo picked up his things and handed in his test. Once again, he made his way towards Orihime's desk.

"Hey, Inoue," Ichigo said casually.

"H-Hi, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime said with a radiant smile. "How did you do one your test?"

Ichigo groaned. Orihime looked up at him with concern. "Not very well…shit, I'm already falling behind in class…"

Orihime said something softly. Ichigo looked at her quizzically. Her face was tomato red.

"Did you say something, Inoue?"

Orihime looked down at her shoes nervously. "I-I s-said that I-if you want, I-I can help you with y-your homework," she said shakily. She started to wave her arms in embarrassment. "O-Of course, if you don't want my help, its okay. It was a silly thing to ask! Its not like I'm a teacher or anything! I don't know wh-"

Ichigo let out a light chuckle, interrupting her rant. "I would appreciate it, Inoue."

After all, Orihime was ranked third in their entire year. She was a smart girl, despite the fact that her imagination tended to run rampant.

"So…," Ichigo said as he shifted his weight, trying to hide the reddish tint on his face. "Should we meet up at my place or yours?"

Orihime opened her mouth to invite him to her apartment, but she instantly remembered her parents. _Maybe that wont be such a good idea….._

Ichigo, feeling uncomfortable, broke the silence and shook Orihime out of her thoughts. "If its fine with you, we can meet up at my place."

Orihime continued to stare at her shoes and bobbed her head up and down. "Th-that would be perfect, Kurosaki-kun. First I need to stop at home."

Ichigo nodded his head understandingly. "So five o' clock?"

Orihime tore her gaze away from her shoes and looked into Ichigo's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. She just nodded in reply.

Orihime bounced up the stairs to her apartment. She felt lighter and giddier than usual. She was also nervous.

_ I'm just going to Kurosaki-kun's house to help him with homework,_ she thought, trying to calm her beating heart. _I'm just going to do that and nothing else._

Orihime opened the door, and before she even had the chance to set her bag down, her bounded out of the kitchen and hugged her tightly.

"Guess what, sweetie?" her mother asked, beaming. "I was looking through your mail and guess what I found?"

Orihime frowned. _Why was she going through my mail?_

Not even giving Orihime a chance to say anything, her mother answered her own question. "You got a job at the bakery down the street! You'll be starting this weekend!"

As proof, the middle-aged woman waved a piece of paper in the air.

"R-Really?" Orihime asked excitedly, snatching the letter out of her hands. Orihime applied for a job at a bakery down the street to earn a little extra money. It has been a while since she sent in an application, so she didn't think she would get the job.

Orihime hugged her mother tightly. She totally forgot about her earlier suspicion. "I am soooo excited!"

"I am too, honey!" her mother said excitedly. "My little Orihime is growing up!"

"Oh, and I'm going to be out this evening," Orihime said suddenly. "I have to help a classmate with schoolwork." Looking around, she noticed her father was missing. "By the way, where's dad?"

"He's…out," her mother replied quickly. "Well, I hope you have fun, sweetie! Remember, don't stay up too late!"

Orihime ran into her room and shut the door. Her breath was ragged and her eyes started to swell.

_This is too…weird,_ she thought, trying to hold back her tears. _All of a sudden, my mother is here…calling me 'sweetie' and 'honey'…what do they want with me?_

Orihime wiped her eyes. Maybe she was looking into it too much. Maybe her parents genuinely missed her. Maybe they were finally giving her the maternal affection she needed and craved thirteen years earlier.

Orihime picked up her books, notes, and schoolbag and jogged out the door.

_I'm going to Kurosaki-kun's house! He invited me over! _She mentally slapped herself. _Cut it out! Ichigo just wants me to help him with his homework…he knows that I rank high in our class. That's the only reason._

Ichigo blushed madly as he looked around his plain room. He couldn't believe it. He asked Orihime to come over.

Ichigo shook his head violently, trying to clear his mind from all the thoughts running through it. _It's just homework…nothing else…like a teacher!_

_**Maybe she can stay late so you can get some "extra credit."**_

Blushing madly, Ichigo shook all of the perverted thought running through his head.

_**Hit the nail right on the head, didn't I?**_

"N-no!" Ichigo said aloud. The stuttering confirmed it. "I just want to study."

_**Right,**_the hollow said sarcastically. It was obvious that he was amused with the situation. _**And I'm king of the world.**_

"Just shut up," Ichigo growled. "I never asked you for your remarks."

Ichigo heard the doorbell ring and sprinted down the stairs, nearly jumping to the door. He had to reach the doorknob before anyone else (especially his dad) could. His family seemed to make it their mission to constantly find something to embarrass him about.

Ichigo's gut churned when he saw his father open the door and greet Orihime. _D-DAMN! SO CLOSE!_

"Hello," Isshin said, greeting the auburn-haired girl with a warm smile. "Welcome to the Kurosaki house! Are you Ichigo's friend?"

"Y-Yes," Orihime replied shyly, taken aback by the man's kindness and hospitality. "I'm Orihime Inoue," she said, giving a slight bow.

"My name is Isshin Kurosaki, the leader of the household!" Isshin said proudly as he led Orihime into the house. Isshin caught Ichigo's "_what-the-hell-do-you-think-your-doing?"_ glare. He just smiled slyly. Ichigo definitely did not like the gleam in his eyes.

"H-Hello, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime said brightly when she saw Ichigo. "Where should we study?"

"Study?" Isshin asked curiously, winking at Ichigo. "How nice! Helping my boy with his schoolwork!"

Ichigo felt his face heat up with embarrassment. Orihime just bowed and thanked Isshin for the compliment.

"We are studying in my room," Ichigo said, grabbing Orihime's hand and leading her up the stairs. Orihime's body shuddered with delight as she felt Ichigo's warm hand envelope hers.

Isshin's eyes gave a perverted glint. He couldn't help himself. "So what are you two going to study? Se-"

Isshin's sentence was cut short when Ichigo's foot met his face in a flying sidekick. Isshin rolled on the floor with a red footprint on the middle of his face.

"Perverted old man," Ichigo grumbled as he stomped back up the stairs with Orihime, leaving his father wailing on the ground next to his Masaki poster.

"What should I do, Masaki?" he wailed. "Ichigo brought a girl home and wont respect his innocent and loving father!"

Ichigo shut the door to his room, scowling and muttering curses. "Ignore that perverted old man."

Orihime smiled. "Kurosaki-san is so nice. I can tell you two love each other very much!"

Ichigo was taken aback by her statement. She got all that from a two minute encounter?

_Wow…, _Ichigo thought, dumbstruck. _I thought the old man would creep her out…_

Ichigo cleared his desk, and brought another chair for Orihime to sit in. As Ichigo looked for his notebook, Orihime looked around his room with awe. It was such a plain room, but it was Kurosaki-kun's room.

_It even smells like him,_ she thought, breathing in the atmosphere of his room. Orihime's face heated up when she remembered the last time she was in his room. Even though Ichigo was asleep when she confessed her love for him, the memory made her cheeks flare.

"Inoue?" Ichigo said, bringing the auburn-haired girl back to reality. "Everything's set up. You can sit here," Ichigo politely held out a chair for her to sit in.

"Th-Thank you," Orihime stuttered as she clumsily sat in her chair. "O-Okay, lets begin," she said as she picked up a math textbook, trying to take her mind off of her embarrassing thoughts.

The next two hours went by quickly, and Ichigo thought Orihime made an even better teacher than Misato-Sensei. "Oh! I get it!," "I see," and "So that's how it works," where phrases that were commonly uttered by Ichigo. Orihime blushed every time.

"Wow, Orihime," Ichigo complimented. "You make a great teacher! Better than Misato-Sensei! This crap actually makes sense now!"

Orihime felt her face heat up and she nervously stared down at her feet, avoiding eye contact with the handsome orange-haired Shinigami. "Th-Thank you, Ichigo. I don't think I'm that great of a teacher…"

_That is so like Inoue, _Ichigo thought, smiling. _Always so modest._

_**This is getting boring, **_Ichigo's Hollow said with a yawn. _**Make a move on her already! She is soooo into you.**_

_What? What are you talking about? _Ichigo felt his face break into a blush.

_**Hahahaha! You are so dense! Even IV'E noticed!**_

_You don't know what you're talking about_

As time passed, Ichigo found himself paying less and less attention to what Orihime was saying and more and more attention to Orihime herself. He would just occasionally nod his head and say "mkay," and soon enough, he even stopped doing that. He stared at Orihime with adoration. His gaze centered in on her lips. They looked so soft, so moist, so…_kissable_.

"K-K-Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime said, shaking Ichigo out of his stupor. She tried to hide her embarrassment.

_Why was he staring at me like that? _Orihime asked herself. _He wasn't…checking me out, was he? _Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, if that was even humanly possible. Now she was the one who was zoning out. _No…that cant be it…_

"I-Inoue?" Ichigo asked, lightly tapping Orihime's shoulder.

"Y-YES?" She asked, a little too loudly. She quickly covered her mouth and apologized for the outburst.

A snicker outside of the window interrupted the two flustered high schoolers. Ichigo stomped angrily over to the window and threw it open. It took all of his discipline to keep himself from raising hell on the two Shinigami who had been spying on him. Rukia and Renji, unable to contain their laughter anymore, let out two hearty belly laughs.

"So, _Kurosaki-kun_," Renji teased, trying to gasp for breath. "Want me to help you with your homework too?"

Ichigo's face exploded with anger and embarrassment. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" he yelled as he slammed his window shut and closed his curtains. Fuming, Ichigo sat back down, muttering curses.

Orihime smiled weakly, trying to cover up her sadness. _Kurosaki-kun seems to get mad whenever someone mentions the two of us being together…_

"I…I should go," Orihime said, standing up quickly. She ran down the stairs and out the door, trying to hold back her tears.

_I knew I shouldn't have come here! _

"Hey! Inoue!"

Orihime, despite her efforts to ignore the voice, turned around. Ichigo was running towards her.

"Where the hell do you think your going? Why did you leave so fast? Is it because of those two bastards…," Ichigo said, scowling.

_Inoue seems to get so upset whenever someone mentions the two of us being together…_

"S-Sorry, Ichigo," Orihime whispered.

_I always seem to annoy poor Kurosaki-kun. Why cant I do anything right?_

"Its okay," he said gently as his scowl melted into a small smile. "Let me walk you home, at least."

Orihime caught a glimpse of his rare smile and blushed profusely. She just nodded her head up and down and stared downwards.

Noticing Orihime's reaction, Ichigo's smile faded. _I always seem to embarrass poor Inoue. Why cant I do anything right?_

The walk to Orihime's apartment was filled with uncomfortable silence. Ichigo almost felt relieved when they reached the apartment complex. He walked Orihime up the steps, and suddenly shuddered when he felt two eyes piercing into his back. He turned around slowly, and noticed that Orihime's father was there, sitting on the porch in the exact same spot he was sitting in last time.

"Erm…hello," Ichigo said warmly, giving the man a slight bow.

Orihime's father grunted. "The fuck are you doing here again?" His baggy eyes seemed to scan his body from head to toe.

"I was just walking Orihime home," Ichigo explained, not noticing how Orihime seemed to jump when he called her by her first name. "Is that a problem, sir?"

"Yes, it is a fucking problem, so get your ass outta here," the man spat. Ichigo can only wonder how a human can be so bitter.

"DAD!" Orihime yelled, angry at how he was treating, well, the love of her life. "Why are you being so rude to Kurosaki-kun."

The middle-aged man glared at Orihime, and she instantly fell silent.

"Hello, Hime," the man said after several seconds. "How was your day today?"

Orihime was shocked at how quickly his mood seemed to change. _I…I think he's drunk,_ Orihime thought, suddenly afraid of the unpredictable man who was her father.

As the woman gave Orihime a big bear hug, she seemed to have just noticed Ichigo.

"Hi, I'm Ichigo," he said awkwardly, not really knowing what he should do or say. It was such an odd situation. He can feel a thick, heavy tension between the three Inoues. Swallowing thickly, he decided to give the woman a slight bow as a formality.

"Is he a friend of yours, Hime?" Her mother asked, eyeing Ichigo.

"Y-Yes…," Orihime said hesitantly. She did not know how her mother would react. Ichigo already seemed to be on her father's "dislike list."

"Boyfriend?" The woman asked slyly. This earned Ichigo a death glare from Orihime's father.

"N-NO!" Orihime said (just a bit too loudly) as her face flushed. Ichigo felt crushed when he saw how quickly she reacted to her mother's question.

"Well, Ichigo, it was nice to meet you," the woman said, giving him a sweet smile. "Have a safe walk home!"

Ichigo left after saying goodbye to Orihime and her family. Orihime and her mother went inside of the warm apartment, while her father stayed on the porch. He always seemed to be there. He always seemed to be staring at him. Ichigo shuddered again and buried the lower half of his face in his jacket.

"He was cute!" Orihime's mother said as soon as the apartment door closed. "You sure know how to pick them, dearie!"

Orihime's cheeks turned pink. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"Tsk-tsk!" chided the middle-aged woman. "I saw the way you looked at him. I saw the way you acted. It's a dead give away."

After a couple seconds, Orihime spoke again. "I-Is it that obvious?"

Her mother giggled. "Yes, dearie. I'm afraid it is. You are in head-over-heels with this…Ichigo, was it?"

Orihime nodded.

"Your too damn shy!" the woman suddenly said, making Orihime jump. "You have to use your gifts, Orihime! Get him to notice you! I gave you that lovely rack for a reason!"

Orihime's face flushed.

_No! _She told herself firmly. _Ichigo doesn't like me like that…_

"You know what, Orihime?" her mother asked suddenly.

"Hmmm?" Orihime replied, still convincing herself that Ichigo would never love her.

"We should do something this weekend, just the two of us. You know; have a little mother-daughter time."

-Chapter 2 End-

So there's chapter two! I hoped you liked it! (Personally, I like how the story is shaping up!)

Thank you everybody for the feedback! It really made my day!

**Blitch: **Thank you for pointing out those embarrassing mistakes! I started writing this story from a first person POV, but I scrapped that idea. Unfortunately, I left in a couple of blunders…(damnit!) Again, thank you for pointing those out (I fixed them as soon as I had the chance to. Now it's more readable, and less annoying!)

**VirgilTheart: **I am too! You won't be disappointed (hopefully)! Thanks for the feedback!

**XxLonexLovexX: **Awwwe shucks…your being too kind! Thank you for the encouragement!

**nypsy: **I actually wrote the chapter before reading that far in the manga. I apologize for any plot holes or mistakes that could have stemmed from this. Oh, and Orihime let her parents stay with her because, well, she's too nice for her own good, and she's still confused and shocked from seeing them so suddenly. It's a complicated feeling. Thank you for the tips and advice! Your feedback really helped!

**High Prince Gasket: **Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you liked it. I plan to update weekly, maybe twice a week.

**XWildxStrawberryx:** Yes, this is my first story! I'm glad you liked it! You made my day! Thanks for the compliments!

Please review! I am still new to this, and I would appreciate a kind word or two!

Constructive criticism is also welcome (key word: _constructive_. "Fuck you" and "You suck" arent exactly contructive).

Again, I apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling errors. I didn't have a lot of time to proofread this chapter!

Thanks again for reading! I love you all! (Yes, even you! :p)

-Venchi


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